Designing Your Life

DESIGNING YOUR LIFE: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life

by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Most people lack a reliable process for making life and career decisions, so they remain stuck or blindly follow someone else’s path. In this book, Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show how to apply design thinking to solve problems in life and career: by generating multiple options, testing them cheaply, and iterating toward what works.

In this summary, you’ll learn:

• How to assess where you stand across 4 areas of life, and find your direction by building a personal compass and tracking energy and engagement.
• How to generate and test multiple options using mind maps, 3 distinct 5-year plans, and prototype conversations.
• How to redesign your job search around how hiring actually works.
• How to feel satisfied with your decisions by choosing well, building immunity to failure, and getting ongoing support.

Who should read this:

• Individuals who feel stuck or want a structured way to make satisfying life and career decisions.
• Coaches, mentors, and educators who want a repeatable framework for helping others navigate life and career decisions.